Boy Wonder and the Demoness
by The Writer Triumphant
Summary: My take on the tale of Beauty and the Beast. Again, slight AU. RobinRaven.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy.

**Opening Note:** "Beauty and the Beast" has always been my favorite Disney movie. I guess because I could always relate to Belle, who loved books and was a brave girl in her own way. For a long while I considered writing a fic inspired by it, but didn't quite know where to start, how I would make it original. A good friend and faithful reviewer of my stories, **sekai**** no yakusoku**, recently started her take on it: "Glass" is a beautiful and interesting piece. I recommend it.

This story is dedicated to her, **castle in the air**, and to everyone who has made me a part of their "favorite authors" list.

* * *

_"If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?" _

_-Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

* * *

_

**Part One: Bargain With a Bat**

They called it a haunted house. Even though it was more of a factory. For years Horace Wells had lived in the large penthouse above his business. The penthouse and factory had been passed down, father-to-son, for fifty years when Horace inherited it. Tragically, Horace fathered only girls, and he died before any of them married. Shareholders tried to keep it afloat, but eventually it went bankrupt and was closed down.

The place sat on the outskirts of Gotham city, huge and empty. No one dared enter, even though there was no sign of anything strange going on. But in the past two years, citizens reported piano music coming from within, and the sound of things breaking. Rumors spread, and a fence was put around the place to prevent anyone going in.

A group of teenage boys ignored the rumors and the fence, though, and wandered in. They reappeared two days later, two of them injured and all of them with a different story to tell. They all seemed to have one thing straight, though.

The place was not empty.

Breaking five ribs and his leg in two places wasn't Bruce Wayne's idea of the perfect Birthday. He was getting way too old, he concluded. But in an hour or two it wouldn't matter. He'd be dead. In the middle of his fight with the Joker, the hand that held his communicator had been crushed. Along with said communicator. After that, things went downhill quite a bit, and all Bruce could do now was wonder if Richard and Alfred would find him in time.

Luckily, he'd managed to escape into the old building. But he'd fallen down the stairs, clutching his shattered hand to two broken ribs. The long fall had earned him three more broken ribs and two fractures in his left leg. One of the breaks had punctured the skin. It didn't look good. Even if Alfred did find him and manage to pull off a medical miracle within an hour and a half, Bruce had no idea how he would explain it to the press or the people at Wayne enterprise.

Ironically, the very building where he would die was the same one Wayne enterprise had forced into bankruptcy twenty years ago.

Bruce rolled over to lie on his back, trying to breathe calmly. If he was going to die, he wanted to die in peace.

"Well now... it seems a bat has found its way into my haunt."

Bruce was relieved to hear that the voice didn't belong to the Joker, but disappointed that it wasn't Alfred either. He looked up into a dark face with glowing red eyes. For a moment, he wondered if he was in hell. The figure pulled back its hood, letting a mane of darkest violet tumble forth. Her skin was chiseled ebony, the features of her face sharp and delicate in a way that was as attractive as they were frightening. Inhuman.

He tried to say something, but the broken ribs were stabbing into his lungs. It was hard to breathe now.

"Listen to me," her voice crooned. "I will spare your life."

A gasp of surprise found its way to his mouth with a trickle of blood.

She gave a low, amused chuckle. "A demon I am, but I will save you, Master bat. However... you will be in my debt."

Bruce Wayne took a deep shuddering breath and focused his vision on the creature's glowing red eyes.

"I am in your debt," he managed before the darkness claimed him.

He awoke sometime later. It was still night. Or perhaps early morning. He knew he'd been asleep, but it felt as though he'd just slipped off for a moment. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he felt the urge to vomit. He carefully sat up. Wells Inc. What was he doing here?

Then he remembered.

"Awake, I see."

The demoness's voice floated down to him from the top of the stair case he'd fallen down some hours ago.

"Forgive me if I could not make you as comfortable as you are accustomed to."

It was then that he realized he lay on an old mattress, covered with a worn blanket.

"What did you do to me?"

Certainly he hadn't meant to be rude, but it was the only way he knew how to ask after waking up to find himself in good health - save for the taste of blood in his mouth - after having been inches from death.

"You have been healed. And now you are in my debt, o Dark Knight," she replied.

"How would you have me repay you?"

She fixed her glowing eyes on him for a long moment.

"Do you have a son?" she asked finally.

He, in turn, fixed her with his gaze for a long moment, not knowing what to make of the question.

"I have no children of my own," he answered slowly, "But I have a ward in my care, a young man who will one day inherit all I own."

She smiled, a demon grin of white teeth against midnight skin that sent chills down his spine.

"You will bring him to me," she said, her voice a whisper of excitement and malice.

* * *

**Ending Note:** In my story, Raven is the beast. Like "Two Birds With One Stone", this will be only slightly AU. And as always, I have the habit of writing painfully short chapters. I do hope, however, that you'll regard the quality of my work over the quantity of words.

Reviews are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** Please note that Bruce Wayne has the tendency to be suspicious.

Dedicated to **sekai**** no yakusoku** and **castle in the air**.

* * *

_"As you can see, the psuedo-facade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings. This is yet another example of the late neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, 'if it's not Baroque, don't fix it!' "_

_-Cogsworth Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

* * *

_

**Part Two: Arella**

There was no turning back on his word, the demoness had assured him. He was in her debt and he was obliged to do her bidding. He promised he would return the next day, ward in tow. He looked so disgusted when she first requested he be brought to her that the room was instantly filled with her cold laughter.

"Worry not, Caped Crusader," she said, "I will not harm him."

And with that she sank into the shadows.

Alfred and Richard had, of course, been worried for him. Bruce was, after all, forty years old. And he'd insisted on going out on assignment on his own that night.

It was with great care that he changed out of his crime fighting garb and sat down with them to explain what had happened.

"Bruce... did you hit your head?" Richard asked carefully.

"It does indeed sound like something out of a fairy-tale, Master Bruce," said Alfred. "This demon requests you to bring Master Richard to her?"

"What does she want with me?" Richard asked.

"She has assured me that she will not harm you, but I want you on your guard."

Usually, Richard would have something to say about his guardian's unhealthy suspicious nature, but today he shared his thoughts.

He and Alfred left Bruce alone to rest. It had obviously been a very taxing night. Richard went to his room to think. He didn't know what to make of the situation. It sounded, as Alfred had implied, like something out of a story book. Naturally h wondered if his mentor was ill, but he'd never behaved this way, and Alfred said he was well enough. There wasn't much reason to doubt that what Bruce said was the truth.

* * *

_My parents died some time ago. Ten years. I was eight years old. Bruce took me in and provided me with an education, a home, and guidance. Though I've never considered him a father, he means something to me. I know this because there have been times where he has been injured very badly and I was desperate to have him well again. I don't think I could stand it if something were to happen to him, leaving me mostly alone again._

_Of course I was grateful that he came home in one piece that night. Morning. And I understood that he hated the idea of using me as a means of payment to that demon who spared him. _

_The next day I went to him and said I'd go. He tried to talk me out of it. During the night he'd decided to go ask if he could be taken in my place. A long discussion ensued. Finally, he agreed that I would go, but if I was harmed or threatened I was to contact him so that he could bring me back._

_Nothing in my eighteen years would prepare me for this.

* * *

_

Wells, Inc. looked sad and vacant as an empty body by day. Batman entered quietly, Robin at his side. They walked through the entrance hall and to the factory floor, down the steps that had nearly been the end of the Dark Knight. The place seemed cleaner, somehow.

"The bat has returned?" the demoness's voice of cold silk drifted out of the shadows.

"As promised," Batman replied.

With increasing trepidation, Robin noticed he was reaching for a Batrang. He reached out and touched his partner's arm.

"Show yourself, please," Robin said.

A low, amused chuckle echoed about them. "I do not like the light, boy. You will see me in time."

At this, Robin followed his guardian's example and reached for a weapon.

"I don't have time for these games," drawled her shadowy voice. A ribbon of darkness burst from under an ancient machine and knocked Batman off his feet. Robin threw a Birdrang in the machine's general direction, but struck nothing.

"You may leave now, Master bat. The boy will be allowed to contact you once he learns his place."

Batman made to draw another weapon, but Robin stopped him.

"You gave your word."

"As did I," the demon voice reminded them. "The boy will not be harmed."

His mentor reluctantly climbing the steps, Robin scanned the room for movement. Everything was still.

"I don't play hide-and-seek, boy. You'll see me when I want to be seen." Her amused laughter vibrated in the shadows. "This will be your home now, so you are free to explore it. Keep out of the basement kitchen and the main bedchamber. You will sleep in one of the smaller bedrooms, whichever you choose." The last words faded away and Robin supposed the demon creature had left him. For now. With a sigh, he went to explore.

He'd heard stories from the other boys at the private school he attended, in the streets, and recently, on the news after those boys snuck in and reported there was a monster living there. Only the part about the monster happened to be true, though. The place was pretty much just empty. There were a few broken windows here and there and the usual dust and cobweb spread. But no trap doors or secret passageways. Even the main bedchamber, where he'd been forbidden to explore, was flanked by a pair of heavy oak double doors. It didn't look as though anything of interest lay beyond it.

He picked out a room for himself out of the three others. It was the one farthest from the main bedchamber and had the most surviving furniture: a bed, a comfortable chair, and a sort of dresser. He found a mirror in one of the other rooms and some cushions to make it more comfortable.

When that was done, he wandered back to the factory floor. He didn't have to wait very long. It was growing dark outside.

"Does the Robin like his new nest?" the voice asked.

He looked around.

"Where are you?"

"Always in the shadows, boy."

He sensed movement somewhere and whipped around. The patch of shadow there seemed to be moving.

"What am I supposed to call you?" he asked, still watching the place where the shadow had rippled like a black pond.

"You will call me Arella."

She – for it was a she, Robin realized – stepped out of the shadows. Or rather, the shadow stepped out of her? And she was there, leaning against the far wall, a figure draped in a long cloak and hood. Beneath, two red eyes glowed like coals. He took a step back.

"Afraid?" she asked lightly.

"No... just surprised." A moment after he said it he realized there wasn't much difference.

She lifted an ebony hand and pulled back the hood. He took another step. Forward.

Where her first appearance had startled him and made his stomach tighten, he now felt something different that he couldn't quite name. Under the darkness of her hood was the sable face of a dark angel, framed by a mass of hair of deepest violet.

"You're beautiful," he said, without thinking.

Her eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed as she pulled the hood over her head again. "In my own way, I suppose," she said slowly.

A long moment passed as she looked down at the floor while he wondered if he was the first person to ever call attention to her beauty.

"You will eat now," she said, her voice back to its shadowy drawl. She gestured to a small door he hadn't seen before. "Raven will feed you."

* * *

**Ending Note: **Yesterday was a bad day. Today hasn't been much better. To make things worse, I have to go to my English class in an hour. I hate my English class. Well, at least maybe I can write another chapter of this while I'm there.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** Many of you have expressed confusion as to the last chapter. Arella or Raven? I'm going to clear that up in this chapter some, though further guesses on your part are encouraged.

Dedicated to **sekai**** no yakusoku** and **castle in the air**.

Also, I would like to give a special dedication to one **Prince V**. This person has visited my stories and proceeded to "flame" me. I laugh at your foolish attempts to anger me, mortal! Of course I know that in the original comics Starfire and Robin had a relationship. I acknowledge this. I also acknowledge that Richard Grayson is more likely to have a relationship with Barbra Gordon than Raven or Starfire. However, this is a FANFICTION, my dear Prince V. Meaning, a fiction work written by a fan. Meaning me. I am at perfect liberty to write about whatever pairing I choose. And you, my dear, are at perfect liberty to read whatever stories you like. And "flame" ones you don't. Even mine. However, please try to be a bit more creative than "ROBXRAE SUKS ROBXRAE STUPID YOU STUPID 4 WRITE ROBXRAE SHORTNESS SUKS WRITEING STYLE SUKS STORY SUKS YOU SUKS...ALOT YOU STUPID...ALOT" You sent me the same stupid review for every story of mine you read. And I'm sure you know that most of these phrases are spelled wrong. That is the only thing I find offensive about your "review". In closing, I'd like to inform you that I've had too many people tell me that my writing is good to care about what you say.

* * *

_"Enchanted? He-he ha-ha! Who said anything about the castle being enchanted? Ha-ha-ha... Aside to Lumiere It was you, wasn't it?"_

_- Cogsworth

* * *

_

_Beast: to Belle You'll come out or I'll... I'll... I'll break down the door!_

_Lumiere__: Master, I may be wrong, but that may not be the best way to win the girl's affections._

_-Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

* * *

_

**Part Three: Birds**

Robin hadn't expected there to be anyone besides himself and the strange – yet darkly beautiful – Arella. But as he entered the small room, he saw someone duck behind the counter. A small pot simmered on the stove. A pair of violet eyes peered over the edge of the counter.

"You're Robin," said a faint, sweet voice.

He offered a smile, and she came out of hiding. She was a small girl, perhaps only twelve years old. Her black hair was very short, exposing a pale, swan-like neck. She wore a simple dress that fell to her ankles.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Arella calls me Raven," she said by way of an answer. Then, "I made you some soup!" She hastily ducked behind the counter again to produce a bowl and went to the stove to pour some of the soup into it. "I'm not much of a cook..." she apologized. "And Arella doesn't need to eat, so I never know if I get it right or not." She watched him for some time before Robin realized that she was waiting for him to try it.

Cautiously raising the bowl to his lips, he took a sip. It wasn't Alfred's cooking, but it was good. He complimented her, then sat down at the small table to finish it. She poured herself a small bowl and drained it.

"I have to go help Arella now, she said.

"Did she trap you here, too?" he asked.

She looked down at the floor. "No. Of course not. She's - "

But before Robin could find out what Arella was, a bird darted into the room. Raven squeaked and ducked as it flew over her head. It was a large, black bird with glassy red eyes. "Nevermore!" it squawked.

"I'm coming, Poe!" Raven insisted, then ran out of the room without saying another word to Robin.

The bird perched itself on the table. "Always in the shadows," it said suddenly, then began pecking at Robin's bowl.

"You're a weird bird," Robin observed.

It made a sound as though it were choking, then forced out another, longer sentence.

"I'm not the only bird here."

Robin opened his mouth to answer, but the bird swooped out of the kitchen again. Slightly offended, the Boy Wonder found his way to the room he'd chosen to sleep in and climbed into bed. At some point in the night, he thought he heard Arella and Raven talking, but wasn't sure if he was asleep or dreaming.

* * *

He was awakened by something pecking steadily harder and harder at his head. He opened his eyes and saw the bird Poe sitting on his thin pillow, regarding him like a rather stubborn worm. Robin groaned and rolled over. He'd hoped all of this was a dream, but apparently it wasn't. He looked out the window. It was barely dawn. 

He scooped up a cushion from the floor and tossed it with great accuracy at the bird. It squawked and flew down to the floor, offended. With a last garnet stare it wobbled out of the room through the open door. Robin fixed his mask and pulled the thin blanket over him, letting sleep claim him.

* * *

At some point, he began to wonder what the bird would taste like, roasted. He wasn't used to animals, really. And Poe didn't make the transition very easy. He was very fond of perching on Robin's shoulder and pecking at his ear. 

"I'm sorry Poe's being so naughty," Raven apologized, coaxing the bird away with some bread so that Robin could finish his porridge in peace. "I think, in his own weird way, he likes you."

Robin nearly choked on the porridge. "Well," he said at last, "I'm glad he doesn't hate me, then."

Raven laughed and went off in search of Arella. She returned some time later, when Robin was practicing with his bo staff on the factory floor.

"Arella is in the study," she said, pointing to a door to the right at the top of the steps. "She says you will go to her now."

Robin's bo sliced through the air. "I'm not her dog," he said bitterly. "And I won't have her send for me."

Raven shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Please don't make her mad, Robin..." She looked down at the floor. "She scares me when she's angry..."

Robin put his staff away and approached her, lifting her chin so she would look at him.

"Does she hurt you, Raven?"

Her eyes went wide and she shook her head. "Oh, no! She would never hurt me!" She said it with such confidence that Robin believed her at once.

"What does she want me for?" he asked.

Raven fidgeted. "I'm not sure... just talk to you, I guess." She wandered back to the kitchen.

Something landed on his head and pecked violently at his earlobe. "Nevermore!"

"That's right," Robin muttered. "You tell Arella that if she wants to see me, she'll have to ask nicely. I don't follow her orders."

"Nevermore!" Poe replied, clicking his beak.

"I know you can talk," Robin said. "I know you have more brains than you let on."

Another sharp peck.

"And you..." the words were like rusty metal chains dragged over broken glass, "You have no brains at all, ignoring her wishes."

"She could at least say 'please'," Robin insisted, satisfied that he got the thing to talk.

"She does as she pleases," the bird corrected. "And right now, it pleases her to see you."

Robin didn't budge. Poe made a sound that was something like a sigh and something like a bitter bark of laughter before flying off toward the study door. A moment later, Robin sensed movement in the shadows behind him.

"You will come when I send for you, boy," her voice, shadowy as ever, held a note of impatience.

"I'm not your dog to be ordered about," he replied, imitating her eloquent way of speech. "If you want me to do something, you'll ask." A pause. "And you'll say 'please'," he added.

The shadows parted to reveal her, eyes glowing red as ever, narrowed to what Robin recognized as sheer annoyance. He grinned in spire of himself.

"Very well," she said, seething. "It would please me to see you in the study now... Robin." She added flatly, "Please."

Noting that he didn't have to ask her to use his name, he smiled and followed her up the stairs.

* * *

**Ending Note: **I'm a bit disturbed over a complaint I had. Someone said that this story is "uninspired" and lacks the "flair" of my other stories. This makes me sad because I work really hard to make my stories good. Would that person (or anyone else, for that matter)please suggest what I can do to make it better? 

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** I'm living the responses I'm getting. Thanks to all of your for the encouragement, suggestions, and feedback in general. There still seems to be quite a bit of confusion on the Raven/ Arella front, but that's part of the fun! I've had a few people come quite close to guessing what's up, but most people still think that my Arella is Raven's mother.

Dedicated to **sekai**** no yakusoku** and **castle in the air**.

Also, to anyone who thinks I wouldn't give them the time of day. It's 5:36 pm.

* * *

_Belle: What's in the West –_

_Beast: interrupting It's forbidden._

_-Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

* * *

_

**Part Four: The Darkest Room**

The study was perhaps the only room that remained perfectly intact after the Wells family was forced to move out. It was certainly cleaner than the other rooms, and well furnished as well. A huge rug covered nearly the entire floor, two chairs, an ottoman, and a footrest sat in front of the huge, empty fireplace, and there were many books on the shelves.

Arella gracefully sank into the larger chair and made a lazy gesture in the direction of the other. "Sit," she instructed. Robin tried his best to give her a significant look, and she seemed to pick up on it. "Please."

She pulled back her hood and stared into the empty grate. Once again, Robin found he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

"I don't expect much of you," she began. "Raven will cook for you and be your domestic service. Every day you will train... and if Mr. Wayne requires your assistance, you will be allowed to go to him. But you will always return here immediately after." At this she turned her red eyes on him. "As often as you can, you will come to this room and keep me company. And you are to stay out of my bed chamber."

The bird Poe wobbled through the open door and perched on the ottoman beside Robin. "Read to us!" he said, pecking him sharply on the wrist.

Arella flashed a grin. "A story would be nice." She indicated the shelves. Poe flew up and started pecking at the spines. At last he seemed to find one to his liking, for he pecked at it so furiously that it fell off the shelf and landed on the floor at Robin's feet.

"_La Bella et la Bête_?" Robin grinned.

Arella glared at him. "It's my favorite story."

Deciding she was being serious, Robin sat down and opened the book. "I guess it's good I can read French, then," he muttered to Poe before starting.

He read for a long time while Arella sat and stroked Poe's head.

Finally Raven poked her head in and suggested Robin come have his dinner. Arella dismissed him with that almost royal gesture that seemed to say "you have my permission to go". Dinner was rice and fish.

"I didn't think Arella was the type to like fairy tales," Robin commented between bites.

Raven stared at him for a long moment. "She doesn't," she said finally. "Arella says they are pointless, childish things."

"Then why would she want me to read her _La Bella et la Bête_?" Robin wondered.

Raven looked down at the table and squirmed a bit. She looked adorable, Robin thought, pick cheeks and all.

"Sometimes..." Raven faltered, "...Arella says that some fairy tales teach lessons." She looked up at him, as though he was supposed to find a hidden meaning in what she was saying. He gave her a quizzical look.

"I... suppose."

She smiled brightly at him and cleared the table, leaving him more confused than he had been before.

It wasn't Poe's incessant pecking that woke him this time. Instead it was the sound of things breaking. He sat bolt upright at the sound of a scream. Raven's scream. He leaped out of bed and ran in the direction of the sound. Arella's bed chamber. He wasn't allowed there. Another scream from within.

"Raven!" he pounded on the door, his mind racing. She said Arella would never hurt her. Poe appeared, pecking at his ankles until Robin kicked him away. Finally, the noise stopped and Raven stumbled out, pale and wide-eyed.

"Raven!" he snatched her up at once, lifting her tiny body up in his arms.

"You're not supposed to come near the darkest room," she said quietly.

"I know, but I heard you scream."

"Arella is hurt..." she whispered.

"I can't go in." He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to leave the place with Raven, take her to Wayne manor where she would be safe. But Arella...

"She's like the Beast, isn't she?" he asked suddenly. "So lonely here..."

"She tries to seem as though she isn't..."

"Is that why you stay?"

She shook her head. "I have to stay..." She seemed to struggle for words. "I belong here with her." She rested her head against his chest and began to sob quietly.

"Raven..."

He sat on the steps, holding her while she cried. Eventually she cried herself to sleep. As he didn't know where she slept, he carried her to his room and pulled the thin blankets around her, holding her even as she slept.

* * *

_Being Arella's company and Raven's comfort became my life. I would wake up, eat the porridge Raven made for me, practice my kata and keep Arella company. Usually this entailed me reading to her. Other times we played chess. A month passed. Most mornings I'd wake up with Raven curled up beside me. I think I loved her. It was strange. She was so much younger than me, but I did. _

_Whenever I head noises coming from the darkest room I'd go find her and bring her back to my room, letting her cry herself to sleep. I asked her why she cried and she said it was because her heart was broken. It made me sad to hear such a little girl say that._

_At the same time, I became accustomed to Arella's presence, learned how to speak to her. She never answered my questions about what she did those nights in her bed chamber that frightened Raven, so I stopped asking. After a while, her random appearances when the shadows melted away from her became a natural thing. An amazing thing happened. I gained a new sight. I could tell which shadows she was hiding in and which were the true shadows. Raven didn't possess this sight. Nor did Poe. Though I envied him for being able to communicate with her._

_Another month passed, and I was allowed to return to Wayne manor for a visit. I wanted Raven to come with me, but Arella forbade it._

_When I returned, Arella was locked in the darkest room and Raven was sitting outside it, looking as though she hadn't moved for days.

* * *

_

"You have to help her!"

She was very frightened.

"I'm not allowed to go in," he said. The sounds coming from within the room were horrible. He could hear things breaking, Poe's squawking, and an eerie whisper. From time to time something would bang against the door.

"You were supposed to come back yesterday," Raven said.

"I came back, didn't I?" he didn't want to sound so mean. But there was crime fighting to be done and Arella couldn't expect him to give that up, no matter how lonely she was. Or pretended to be.

From within, a sound erupted like ten thousand windows breaking and Raven screamed, falling to her knees and leaning against the door. Another scream sounded from within, and that heavy something pounded against the walls again.

"Help her!" Raven sank down and curled into a ball on the floor, wailing.

* * *

_Arella was in some sort of trance, floating in the middle of the room, eyes closed tight and teeth bared, as though she was fighting something inside her mind. The room was in shambles. Windows broken, books thrown everywhere. A trunk of mahogany wood lay near the door along with a chaise and some drawers. The canopy of the bed had collapsed, and shards of mirror were strewn here and there._

_I didn't now what to do._

_But today, there was something different about her. She seemed so... powerless to whatever was holding her in that trance. She was no longer the shadowy mistress of her haunt. She reminded me of... Raven. Little Raven just outside the door, crying because her heart was breaking. I wondered if Arella's was breaking, too._

_Without thinking, I did for her what I did for Raven. I reached out and pulled her to me. I'd never touched her before. And then, holding her, I realized how small she was.

* * *

_

The darkest room became silent. For a long moment, Robin just stood there, Arella in his arms, waiting. Finally, she pulled away.

"You are not allowed here, boy," she said. It was so like her to say it that he smiled.

"You needed me."

"I need no one." Her eyes attempted to burn through his soul.

"You need Raven." He said it so suddenly it seemed to surprise him.

"Get out."

He obeyed, deciding now was not the best time to try her patience. If she had any.

* * *

**Ending Note:** It took a while to get this chapter out... but then I added those bits from Robin's POV and it pulled itself together.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** Quite a few of you are starting to get it. Though, it's not all that complicating.

Dedicated to **sekai** **no yakusoku** and **castle in the air**.

Also, to anyone who thinks I wouldn't give them the time of day. It is 10:17 am.

* * *

_Gaston__: If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for this monster.  
Belle: He's no monster, Gaston. You are!_

_-Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

* * *

_

**Part Five: The Darkest Room**

For a few days, Arella would not emerge from her room. Raven was quiet and jumped at the slightest sound. Poe's pecking, the wind slamming doors, and the sound of Robin's footfalls were among the things that startled her. However, it was his communicator going off that made her dive under the table one afternoon.

"Tell Arella that I'll be back tonight," he said.

* * *

The Joker wasn't pleased that Batman had somehow managed to survive his brush with death.

So displeased was he, in fact, that he felt the need to do a little more damage. In the form of "capture-and-torture-the-sidekick". Namely Robin. So the Boy Wonder found himself spending the better part of Saturday night being chased by clowns, getting lost in mazes of fun house mirrors, and having everything from explosive pies to razor-edged magic trick cards thrown at him. He escaped the latter with a few cuts and earned a broken arm from falling from the height of the trapeze.

"I'm taking you back home," Bruce insisted.

Robin would have allowed himself to be carried back to Wayne manor were it not for Arella's words ringing in his ears. He was supposed to go straight back.

But what would happen if he didn't?

He thought of Raven, curled up in front of Arella's room with only Poe for company.

He thought of Arella, who needed him even though she denied it.

"Take me back to her," he said. "At least let her see that I came back... then she'll let me go."

Finally, the Dark Knight gave in. It was, after all, only a minor injury.

Raven nearly fainted when she saw the odd angle at which his arm hung. And the blood from the cuts. Even Poe flew off hastily, too bothered by the sight of it to peck at him.

"Robin's hurt!" Raven wailed.

He tried to calm her, but to no avail. Arella emerged from the shadows.

"Help me, Raven," she said.

The demoness's dark hand on his arm and Raven's pale hand stained with blood on his ribs.

"I'll be fine," he insisted.

"You can barely stand from the blood loss, fool," Arella said. Robin shook his head, but even as he did so he felt a wave of dizziness take over.

He felt rather than saw a faint blue light wrapping itself around him, and heard Arella's voice, from far off: "You may go now, Master Bat, Robin is safe."

* * *

He wasn't sure if it was hours later or days later when he next awoke. He wasn't in Wayne manor, but he wasn't in his bed, either. He tried to sit up, but realized something was holding him down. He looked to his left and saw Raven pressed against him, holding his arm.

_My arm..._

It was as though he had never broken it. Her pale face against his shoulder was so peaceful he didn't want to disturb her. He looked up and saw a dark canopy.

_I'm in Arella's room?_

He looked to his right and saw the demoness there, Her dark head pressed against his side, an ebony hand over his chest. Her eyes were covered by her hood, but he could see the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, framed by her unkempt violet hair. He noticed then that his arm was around her waist, pulling her close.

The warmth of her made him smile, and he closed his eyes, drifting back to sleep.

* * *

The darkest room was quiet for once in a long time, the hideous whispers of the Beast hushed by the bond shared between the figures on the bed, deep in peaceful slumber.

* * *

_When I woke up again, Raven was gone. I tried to sit up, but by this time, Arella had decided I was a pillow and her head was tucked under my chin. I wondered why she hadn't taken me to my room. Why bring me here?_

"_Robin?"_

_I looked around and saw Raven peeking through the door._

"_Your breakfast is ready."_

_The door shut quietly behind her and Arella stirred. I held my breath, wondering what she would do when she realized how close she was to me. Some part of my subconscious came up with a few random scenarios and I mentally kicked myself._

"_Stay a moment, boy," she said._

_Fixing me with that gaze of fire, she slowly lowered her face to mine and brushed her lips over mine. _

_She sat up and pulled her hood over her head, throwing her cloak around her shoulders and gesturing toward the door, indicating that I could go now. I left the room, stumbling over my own feet, not daring say a word to anyone about what had happened._

As the door closed behind him, Arella stared into the shadows and smirked. The Beast fell back a step.

* * *

**Ending Note:**

Pray excuse the lateness of this chapter. I've been so busy and so stuck on where to go with this and I've been trying not to start writing a new one because I still haven't finished this one or "This Game We Play".

Not that I have any new ideas.

I'm mainly focusing on my original works at the moment. I've decided I'm not going to touch "Chaos and the Flute" again because it's fine the way it is. But "Shadow Striker" continues to give me problems...

Anyway.

A bit more in the next chapter, maybe.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** I actually wrote the waltz scene some months before I even started "Understand", which was my first RobinRaven fic. I wrote it one day while I was sitting in my English class, bored. I liked the idea, and decided to turn it into a story.

Dedicated to **sekai** **no yakusoku** and **castle in the air**.

Also, to anyone who thinks I wouldn't give them the time of day. It is 11:31 pm.

* * *

_Beast: Oh, it's no use. She's so beautiful, and I'm... Well, look at me!_

_-Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

* * *

_

**Part Six: Waltz**

For a while, things went back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be for a super hero's sidekick living in an abandoned where house/ penthouse with a demoness, a talking bird, and a young human girl.

_Oh, Raven._

Certainly he felt something for her. The need to protect her, maybe. Or was it more? Often he'd wake up in the middle of the night and find her curled up beside him. It was oddly comforting. And of course he never felt the urge to do more than pull her into his embrace and fall asleep with her warmth against him. She was a child, after all. But her presence made him happy, in a way.

And Arella?

Well.

_She's just... strange. Strange and stubborn... and attractive._ Robin blinked and focused on the chessboard, frowning a bit. _Where did that come from?_

He stole a glance at her perfect ebony features framed by that violent mane of violet hair and moved his knight, mentally kicking out several interesting scenarios that could be triggered simply by him knocking the chessboard aside.

"Are you going to sit there all day, or are you going to make a move, boy?" Arella smirked.

Robin blinked again. _What?_

"The game, Boy Wonder, the game." She waved her hand lazily over the board. Robin looked dumbly at the pieces. _Oh..._

He poised a hand over his bishop, contemplated, then moved it.

The door to the study swung open, and Poe was sitting on Robin's head, pecking at his forehead. Raven stood there, smiling. Arella put her hand out and Poe ceased his pecking to light on the arm of his mistress. Robin gave her a grateful smile.

"When you've had your lunch come find me again," Arella said. "We have training to do, you and I."

Ignoring the shiver that ran up his spine, Robin followed Raven to the kitchen.

* * *

"Why are you helping me train today?"

Her eyes glowed and her dark face smirked. Robin could have sworn he heard that low, amused chuckle of hers. "I will provide... obstacles," she said, leading him to a large room he didn't know existed.

"A ballroom?"

"It provides the most space," she said by way of explanation.

It was large, indeed, with a worn marble floor and fading beige wallpaper trimmed with threads of gold. He supposed Horace Wells used this room for company banquets. A number of storage boxes were piled in a far corner. The dusty drapes drooped from the tall windows. The only thing that looked as though it hadn't been neglected was a piano in the far corner. Doubtless it was slightly out of tune, but surely with a good polishing it would look like new.

He buckled his utility belt around his waist and stood in the middle of the room as instructed. As he assumed, she wouldn't be fighting him hand to hand. Instead, she levitated some of the boxes. Someone – perhaps Raven – had drawn targets on them. Arella used her mind to move them around and Robin dodged them and threw his Birdrangs at them. It was good exercise, and after a while, she threw in a chain that looped this way and that.

After about an hour and a half – there was no way to measure time in the haunted place so Robin had to guess – Arella dropped her weapons and declared their training over for the day. Over half the boxes were beaten beyond further use and Raven was waiting patiently for Robin to come to the kitchen, sitting there on the piano bench swinging her short legs.

"We'll resume again tomorrow," Arella drawled, waving a hand in a vague gesture to dismiss him from her presence.

"Wait."

She stopped short of melting into the shadows of the room, her red eyes narrowed, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. He unbuckled his utility belt and put it on top of the piano.

"Dance with me?"

The demoness's eyes widened a bit. Robin couldn't blame her. He himself was just as surprised at the question. But he didn't take it back, waiting to see what she'd say. Raven looked up at him, a strange look in her child eyes.

"Don't play games with me, boy," Arella said quietly. But she didn't leave, seeming to be waiting for something.

"I'm serious," he assured her, and seeing her relax, he turned to the little girl on the piano bench. "Can you play something, Raven?"

"What should I play?" she asked, placing her fingers over the keys.

"A waltz?" he suggested lightly, crossing the room to the demoness. She glared at him as the first notes filled the empty room.

"I can't dance, boy."

Robin allowed himself a soft laugh at that. _Does she sound nervous?_ "I'll teach you."

She approached him reluctantly, then seemed to descend a few inches so that they were no longer the same height and she was looking up at him. In response to his confused look, she said, "You don't honestly think I _walk_ everywhere, do you?"

"I suppose not..." He offered her his hand, secretly thankful that Bruce made him take dancing lessons for all those pointless parties he was forced to host as the wealthiest man in Gotham. Arella stared at the offering as though it were a tentacle, then cautiously slipped a petite, dark hand into his.

"Now put your other hand on my shoulder, he instructed. He was finding it hard to grasp the fact that her palm against his was warm. Somehow, he expected her to be as cold as her social grace.

"And then my other hand goes around your waist..." he slipped his hand under the folds of her dark cloak and found the curve of her waist.

As he expected, she was a fast learner. Soon, they were waltzing smoothly along the faded marble floor. It was then, with the music, that he realized how beautiful she was. In a deeply dark, almost disturbing way, yes. And the way she fit in his arms was perfect in the most bizarre way.

The melody continued, their steps matching the beats of the waltz.

It was hard to remember the exact moment when it happened, but Robin was suddenly aware that once again, his lips were pressed to those of the demoness. But this kiss wasn't secret and brief. Find her lips warm and soft, he deepened their intimacy as her hands traced his jaw, weaved their way into his hair as he wondered how she could be capable of such gentle caresses.

She pulled away from him at last, rising into the air and avoiding his gaze. "We're done for today." She sank into the shadows of the drooping curtains.

* * *

_I think I even heard the melody of the waltz in my sleep. Arella wasn't in the study when I finished my dinner, so I guessed she didn't want to see me. I wondered if she was angry with me. I tossed and turned, startled when the door opened a crack. I thought it was Arella standing there, but it wasn't. The figure didn't have glowing red eyes. _

"_Robin?"_

_I sat up._

"_Raven?"_

_But it couldn't be. My Raven was a little girl with a sweet smile and large violet eyes. This was a young woman. She looked like Raven, though._

"_Did I wake you up?" She smiled softly and sat on the bed beside me, leaning against me. "Can I sleep here with you? Poe keeps me awake."_

_I gently put my arms around her. "Raven? What happened to you?" But she was already asleep.

* * *

_

**Ending Note:** Pray forgive the lateness of this chapter. I have finals coming up and I'm still stuck on where I should go with "This Game We Play". I think I wrote myself into a corner with that one. Also, I plan to take a break from Teen Titans fics after I've finished these two, Maybe I'll finally get started on the Ranma ½ bit I've had in my head for a while.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	7. Chapter 7

**Boy Wonder and the Demoness

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** Hopefully in this chapter all of your questions on the Raven/ Arella front will be answered.

Dedicated to **sekai** **no yakusoku**, **ravenslair**, and **castle in the air**.

* * *

_Beast: I want to do something for her... but what?  
Cogsworth: Oh, there's the usual things; flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep..._

_-Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" 1991

* * *

_

**Chapter Seven: Two Divided by Two Equals One**

Gradually he fell asleep, still confused and convinced he was dreaming already. But as he slowly woke, he realized that Raven's head was tucked under his chin, her legs tangled with his. And from what he could see, she wasn't his little Raven anymore. Her sleeping features were sharper now, more delicate. Not soft and childish. And she had developed some _very_ appealing curves, somehow.

"She's getting stronger," came a voice from the doorway. Arella stood there, Poe perched on her shoulder.

"Is she going to be okay?" Robin asked hesitantly.

She laughed her dark laugh and Poe squawked. "Do you care for her, boy?" Her tone was serious.

Robin looked down at the young woman with her head in his lap, sleeping soundly. "Of course I do."

Arella nodded. "What about me, then?"

He looked at her for a long moment, expecting her to laugh again. Surely she was joking. But she kept her red eyes trained on his and waited, her hand trembling on the doorknob.

"I…" It was quite difficult to explain if he cared for her or not. "Can a robin care for someone who trapped it in a cage?" he asked.

"I see." And she slipped away before he could try to explain that he _did_ feel something for her. He cared for her, yes. But not the same way he cared for Raven. He wondered, for a moment, if he had hurt her.

But then, did she have any feelings to hurt?

The memory of her kiss, surely, was enough to prove that maybe she did. But had she been toying with him? There was no way to know.

Raven stirred in his lap and slowly sat up, leaning against him. "Good morning, Robin," she said, wrapping her slender arms about his shoulders and brushing her lips against his cheek. It was something she had often done before, as a child. But this morning it was different because it excited him and made him smile a little wider than he usually did as he returned the greeting, inhaling the scent of lavender as he kissed her forehead.

"I'll make you breakfast," she said, climbing down from the bed.

As soon as she was gone, Robin went in search of Arella, hoping to apologize or perhaps explain himself better.

_She was sitting by the fireplace in the study, apparently talking to Poe, who was perched on her knee. I guess I should have been relived that she wasn't in the darkest room, throwing one of those temper tantrums of hers. She didn't even look up when I said her name, just kept mumbling into the fireplace._

_"I understand if you're angry with me, but - "_

_"What is it, boy?" she asked, turning away from the grate a bit to train one of her flaming eyes on me._

_"What I said earlier… I didn't mean it."_

_She smirked. "Why not? It has some truth to it after all." She turned back to the grate. "I trapped you here, and as such I shouldn't expect you to grow fond of me, should I?"_

_"You order me around and don't even use my real name. And then you kiss me. How am I supposed to know if what I'm feeling for you is okay?"_

_"And you know it's okay to care for Raven?" She still didn't look at me fully._

_"Because I know that she cares for me." I hesitated. "What happened to her?"_

_Now she did look at me. "As I said, she is getting stronger." Poe flew up to my shoulder and pecked my ear, whispering in his gravely voice, "The spell is breaking, boy bird."_

_"Spell?"_

_"Raven and I are under a spell… a curse," Arella explained. "Only the love of a human boy could break it."_

_"So that's why it's so important to you that I care?" I wasn't quite sure if I should feel betrayed._

_"Don't be stupid." She rose from her seat and reached up to gather a handful of my hair in each of her ebony hands, pulling me down and pressing her lips firmly to mine. The action was so sudden that it took me a moment to react. She pulled away a little, enough to say, "I couldn't control what I feel for you if I wanted to, Robin." Our mouths centimeters apart and her scent filling me, I was willing to believe anything she said._

_"You love me, then?" she asked, running her fingers through my hair, tracing the line of my jaw._

_"I do." I pulled away from her, blinking. But don't I love Raven? Poe landed on my head and pecked hard, shrieking, "Confused, boy bird thing? Confused? Two divided by two equals one! One, one, one!"_

_I reached up and threw him into the chessboard, the pieces flying. The door opened a crack and Raven emerged. "What happened?"_

_I looked from her to Arella. Two divided by two equals one… Two divided by two… Two divided by… Two… One!_

_"You're…" I could barely get the words out. "Both of you are…"_

_"The same," Raven finished for me. "Yes."_

_"Two halves of a whole," Arella said quietly._

_A sound erupted from the mantle that seemed to shake the whole room. Poe flew out of the room, squawking._

_"What is that?" I asked, not sure if I wanted the answer, or even if I would understand it._

_"My father," they said at the same time.

* * *

_

**Ending note:** I am desperately trying to hold onto both of my stories at the moment. Even though I have more time to write, I also have more time to be stuck. I picked up a couple of challenges on the side to keep the creative flow going. Good news is, the next chapter of this story should be the last.

Drop me a review already.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


	8. Chapter 8

**Boy Wonder and the Demoness

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the original storyline of "Beauty and the Beast". I do own the changes to the original plotline, which I hope you will all enjoy

**Opening Note:** The last chapter! Whoo! I'd like to thank everyone who added this story to their favorite stories list. I've enjoyed writing this so much that I intend to write another Disney parody for Robin and Raven. Any ideas?

But I think first I'll take a Teen Titans break and try to get that Ranma ½ fic started, and then I have a Kingdom Hearts story in mind…

Dedicated to **sekai** **no yakusoku**, **ravenslair**, and **castle in the air**.

* * *

_Chip: Do I still have to sleep in the cupboard?_

- _Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" 1991

* * *

_

_Beast: At least I got to see you… one last time._

_- Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" 1991

* * *

_

**Happily Ever After**

The ground shook as though the whole building would come crumbling down. Beside him, Raven fell to the floor and Arella simply vanished. It took a moment for Robin to get over the shock of what was happening. He fell to his knees and tried to move Raven, desperately looking around for Arella.

Even as he searched, he could hear her voice. And he realized, with a sort of sickening pang in his stomach, that it sounded… different. And it was coming from every direction at once, chanting something in a language long forgotten. The fireplace erupted, spewing hot ash onto the floor, the books, burying the scattered chess pieces.

Coughing, Robin ducked and pulled Raven close to him. Finding her skin cold, he panicked.

"_So she was born, spawn of evil…. Destined to aide him when he came to destroy this world… she became lock and key… only true love would set her free…"_

Something had been birthed from the hot ash, the shadows of the room. It was a grotesque, misshapen something, with two sets of piercing red eyes. Demonic red eyes and a twisted smile. It stood, shaking out a head of shaggy, bloodstained white hair. In a fluid movement it snatched with it's torn red hand, jagged nails, snatching at the clouds of ash until it found what it was looking for.

In its grasp, Poe squawked louder then ever, choking and screeching.

"_I am incomplete!"_ the demonic thing said. "_Why have I been restored so weakened?"_ he thundered loud enough to shake countless books off the shelves. With a swift motion, he threw Poe against the wall and swung his misshapen head about until he spotted Robin.

"_You!"_

That hand reached for him, to squeeze the life out of him, and Robin found himself unable to move. Something – someone pushed him aside, and he found himself trapped beneath the grandfather clock on the other side of the room.

"_How dare you betray me, daughter!"_

It was Raven who had pushed him aside, Raven, limp in her father's grasp. Raven, a rag doll thrown against the wall beside Poe.

_She has to be okay… please let her be okay… _Robin thought frantically, reaching for the communicator, only to find it broken. Cursing under his breath, he pushed the weight of the timepiece off of himself and stood shakily, facing Trigon the Terrible.

Just as nothing had prepared him for his first encounter with Arella, certainly nothing in any world could have prepared him for this. Somehow, in the past few hours, Raven had become stronger, and somehow, this meant her father was weaker. Robin seemed to understand that much. But there was no doubt that the demonic form that stood there could break Robin in two if he so desired. And unfortunately for Robin, this was exactly what Trigon's rage was telling him to do.

Perhaps if he wasn't choking on ash trapped in his lungs and his ribs were not bruised from the grandfather clock falling on him, Robin might have been faster. But it was those things, along with the sight of Raven's limbs twisted at odd angles, that affected him.

* * *

_It seemed like something out of a nightmare. Raven… my Raven, was in a corner, her beautiful skin pale. I couldn't remember the last time I bled so much, or the last time someone wanted to kill me so badly. I couldn't breathe. Something slashed across my neck and I felt the blood, knew I was dying. My last thought was that maybe Arella was safe… maybe I'd been able to save her because I told her that I loved her._

"_Raven… I love you."

* * *

_

For a moment, the eerie wail filled the air and could be heard throughout Gotham, as though an alarm had gone off that was meant to warn the entire city of some danger they were not aware of.

* * *

_I woke up under that dark canopy again. I even hoped that I had been dreaming it all. Something stirred beside me, and as I turned to see what it was, I felt a thousand aches ripple though my body. And I knew it had all been real._

"_Don't move, Boy Wonder. You still need time to heal."_

_I nearly jumped at the sound of her voice._

"_Raven?"_

_She appeared above me, violet eyes and moonlight skin. _

"_Where is Arella?"_

_She smiled, and then laughed. A beautiful dark laugh, low and amused. "Did you think you could have two women, Robin?" she asked once the laughter subsided._

"_I just wanted to know if you were safe," I answered. Then, as an afterthought, "What am I supposed to call you now?"_

"_Just Raven," she replied, pulling back the hood that covered her head. Her hair was still short, but was more violet than ever. On her forehead rested a glowing red gem. "When I was divided, I named myself Arella, after my mother." She traced the line of my cheekbone, my jaw, never taking her eyes off mine. _

"_Trigon has been defeated," she said. "And now, Boy Wonder, I think it is time we lived 'Happily Ever After'."_

_And we did.

* * *

_

**Ending note:** Now that this story is finally finished, I can relax a bit before I write the last chapter of This Game. I know this probably wasn't the best ending, but there you go. I've been very happy writing this story, up until he end, even. And now it's done. I hope it didn't disappoint.

Signed,

The Writer, you fools


End file.
